


Bluff

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon, keith doesnt even talk in this lmao hes just aloof silent man(tm), klance aint too strong since theyre basically strangers, pidge is sassy, pining lance but its subtle whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 15:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7689049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A glimpse at the Galaxy Garrison.</p><p> </p><p>pre-canon one shot about lance, keith, and a whole lot of denial</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bluff

 

It wasn't really the mullet that pissed Lance off, although, yes, it was certainly a substantial part of it.    

  

Lance nonetheless pinned all the blame on the mullet, though, blamed it for all his _whatever-this-is_ feeling towards Keith. Passed it off with a mostly-serious glare, accompanied by classmates sighing and Hunk’s bemusement. Keith never even looked their way.

It wasn’t so much the mullet as it was the complete nonchalance Keith possessed since day one: never once replying to Lance’s taunts and insults, every glance thrown at him filled with mild confusion at best, his tone of voice (the rare times he spoke) always dry and detached and- it was like Keith didn’t even _acknowledge_ Lance.

 

To be fair, Keith didn’t acknowledge a lot of people. Or anyone, really. He was always just...sulking, in his corner of the classroom, always looking out the window, like some red-jacketed army wife waiting for his husband to come home. The girls swooned over his elusiveness. The boys gave him space. Lance was, frankly, insulted.

In his eyes, Keith could ignore whoever he pleased, as long as it _wasn’t Lance_ . They were rivals, after all. Keith wasn’t _allowed_ to completely avoid competition.

When voicing as much to his friends, though, Hunk just shook his head. “How many times have you actually talked to the guy, though?”

Lance held up a few fingers and started ticking them off.

After a moment, two were left. Lance stared at his hand, betrayed.

  
Pidge shot him an incredulous look bordering on pity. They had no idea who Keith was, since Lance kept referring to him as “mullet man.”

“Are you sure you can’t find a healthier way to channel your inferiority complex?”  
There was an insult there, somewhere, but Lance still wasn’t really sure what that kid’s deal was. “What?”

“I mean,” Pidge said, adjusting their glasses, “what has he ever done to you?”

  
_Sported a mullet like it was no big deal. Wore fingerless gloves before I thought of wearing fingerless gloves, but come on, how was I supposed to know girls dug that? Doesn’t even appreciate his annoyingly long eyelashes. Gets praised without even trying._

_Became a fighter pilot._

“What _hasn’t_ he done to me?” Lance snorted. “I don’t need to talk to him to know that he’s a total loser.”  
Pidge and Hunk exchanged glances.

 

* * *

 

_“Lance. Promise me you’ll be good.”_

_“I know, mama, I know.”_ __  
_She ruffled his hair, her hand always so warm. “You want to stand out. I can see it in your eyes.” She laughed to herself, a little sadly. “I guess growing up in such a big family will do that.”_ _  
_ _Lance adjusted his bag strap. Said big family was seeing him off to the bus, which would take him to the Galaxy Garrison. His mother had pulled him aside, kind face worn._

_She took his face in her hands. “Look at me. You don’t always have to be number one. Listen to others before you listen to yourself.”_

_“I’ll be fine.”_

* * *

 

Lance was not fine.

He finally admitted this to himself, laying in his bunk, staring at the ceiling above him. The Galaxy Garrison was supposed to be everything he dreamed of, a chance to finally rise up and above everyone else. He wanted to go home a fighter pilot, make his family proud.

But here he was. Some low grade cargo pilot, not even worthy of a fighter pilot's attention. There...there had to be something more. Lance knew, deep inside him, that sleeping in gray rooms and eating grayer food wasn't what he was meant for. He wanted to take to the sky, and beyond. He wanted to do so much  _more._  

He wanted Keith to talk to him more.

 

Hunk’s snores ripped through the air.

Lance turned on his side and tried to close his eyes.

 

* * *

 

“Wait wait wait, run that by me again?”

The instructor passing by rolled their eyes. “You heard me. Keith got kicked out, so you’ll be taking his place as a fighter pilot.”  
Lance slammed his hands on the lunch table. Some plates rattled, and Hunk dutifully lifted his soup bowl up.

                   “That’s-” Lance started, _something_ shooting through him. Disappointment? Excitement? “That’s great!”  
It wasn’t.

Hunk raised an eyebrow. He slurped up the last bits of his soup and wiped his mouth. “I don’t know, Lance. I thought you two were ‘neck-to-neck’ rivals.”

Lance made some noncommittal sounds and waved his hands around. “Are you kidding? That makes it even _better_! Now I don’t have to see his stupid mullet again!” He shoved some chips in his mouth. They tasted like sand.

                He was ecstatic. Or at least, he was supposed to be. There was just...something unfulfilling about the whole thing. No warning, no closure, no nothing: Keith was gone, just like that. The rug had been pulled out under his feet, and now he was laying on the floor face down.

 

Lance could dismiss the emptiness inside him as a craving for a burger all he wanted.

 

                 

 

_I miss him._

  


**Author's Note:**

> hnnnng first fanfic on here be gentle  
> in ep 1 pidge has no clue who keith is so i found a LOOPHOLE ;DDD (i may sound sneaky but i rewatched it halfway through writing this and was like. damn. tack on the mullet man, quick)  
> 


End file.
